zena musings

Shamelessly using my beautiful Mama to promote her beautiful candle

Mother's Day is just around the corner and now is the perfect time to order candles for mom -- or YOU -- and save big before this weekend's price increase at zena moon. (My Mom not included with purchase. :))

New perseverance candle! Plus Full Moon specials now through 6/26

Scented with lemon and thyme, our gorgeous new perseverance candles feature the Buddhist saying, "If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking." Created for my own work and journey, I hope it will aid yours as well.

Saturday's Full Moon and lunar eclipse provide a powerful time to set intentions and practice discernment. Our candles are here to help! Enjoy FREE SHIPPING over $50 with coupon code FULLMOON at zenamoon.com now through 6/26. Plus, get a free self-nurture candle with orders over $75.

About This Full Moon
The message is clear both individually and globally: radical shifts are occurring. Things are a-movin' and a-shakin', waking us all up to new levels of awareness and action. I've excerpted a large chunk of this article by Maurice Fernandez below, as it resonates so clearly and succinctly:

Anything can happen during eclipses—it is literally a time for divine intervention and therefore unexpected and powerful occurrences can manifest, on both personal and collective levels. It is common to experience that things happen very fast and that the course of action is re-routed during such a time. Eclipses can bring solutions and amazing inspiration, as well as potential shake-ups. Because it is such a potent time, I strongly encourage focus on prayer, meditation, and setting intentions because gates open during this time. The flow of energy can be considerable and therefore destruction is definitely possible, but it can also bring completely new breakthroughs and manifest things that were long waited for from one moment to the next. What is worth remembering is that eclipses activate emotions powerfully, and so it is a time to mark intentions because it is through emotions that we register existence.

As 2010 is geared to be a year for transition, everyone is or will be on the move or adjusting to new circumstances. As I mentioned in the previous note, this is not a year to seek security in the material world because there is absolutely no stability—security can either be found through physical motion and creativity or through spiritual connection.

Have you felt a need to reinvent yourself or embark on new ventures? If so, you are in tune with what is going on…yet, the evolutionary incentive here is to learn proper action and not simply burst forward. Uranus is the planet that represents the higher mind, the conscious self, the greater perspective; in the sign of Aries, it calls upon us to observe the way we act and requires that if progress be made, action must be conscious. In other words, we cannot simply repeat the same patterns on different stages—a completely different approach and mode of action is required.

I think the message is clear that we are now in a period of accelerated changes. Because of this, there is much confusion, restlessness, and insecurity, along with strong impatience to see the transformation happen. The way to make sense of things and to really use this time to our advantage begins with solidarity and cultivating a support system—we have to be there for one another…it is fundamental: confront but seek understanding; denounce, but do not exempt yourself from examination; change, but do not expect perfection. Remain firm, truthful, and heart-centered, but importantly, do not take yourself too seriously. With true humility, true guidance comes; then the power of manifestation is without bounds.

Recommended candles:

• acceptance
• beyond fear
• claim your power
• courage
• embrace your confusion
• everyday sacred
• just do it
• listening to body & soul
• moving through change
• releasing anger
• screw perfection

  Shop all candles

Doggielove extravaganza: Save 30% on all candles & gift sets (4 days only)

Twenty years ago today, the love of my life Elliott -- aka Fuzzy Bear, Fred, Punkinhead Fred, Popo, Punk-ass Po, Ellinku, Blažková and DOG -- was born. The above photo was taken the day I brought him home. In honor of his birthday -- and Lucy's 10th birthday, which is tomorrow -- we're offering an unprecedented 30% OFF all candles & gift sets (misfits excluded) at zenamoon.com with coupon code BIRTHDAY10 now through 6/13/10.

About this New Moon in Gemini
Here's a chance to go beyond crazymaking spin and distractions to the Source of wisdom. It's a New Moon that spirals us into the void to straddle two worlds, just like Gemini's archetype, the Magician. You get to juggle it all yourself -- both external noise and the wisdom coming out of that mysterious void. Read the full article here.

Themes and related candles include:

• a candle for writing : If you've got creative blocks, try writing under a pen name.
• be bodacious : Question everything -- it's liberating!
• claim your power : Shake off tired old opinions you no longer believe in.
• dolphin : Diffuse a tense situation with humor.
• embrace your confusion : Let it be OK that you don't know.
• rest and wisdom : Give yourself some space to hear what's coming through your higher channels by cutting out distractions and resting if you need to.

A brand new zenamoon.com is coming SOON!

Charles Darwin once wrote, "It is not the strongest of species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change."

And so changes are afoot at zena moon and in my life.

Later this week the current zenamoon.com will be replaced with a brand new one. At this point it looks a little different, but hopefully it will work even better. I've tried to maintain as much of the same functionality as possible, and over the coming weeks and months I'll be adding more useful features for you (i.e., gift certificates and affiliate programs -- YAY!) and continue working on sprucing it up.

Undoubtedly there are bugs to be fixed and tweaks to be made. If you run across a problem, please let me know! Lots and lots to learn on my end, so please have patience.

If you're wondering why the change, the answer is simple: economics. Yahoo! Small Business offers a terrific online turnkey solution for small businesses, and their 24/7 technical support is AMAZING! My current-but-soon-to-be-former site has been running pretty much as-is for 9+ years, and both the complexity and cost of doing business have skyrocketed into an unaffordable stratosphere. So! Adapt or die.

As for me, I've slowly come to realize I'm ready to do something more. After the holidays and the New Year, I'll be looking for part-time work. My week-long stint at NXNW last month showed me how incredibly much I want to work on a team with other people in-person! Economics are a factor, too. So I'm planting seeds, paying attention, and (usually) have faith that Spirit will lead me exactly where I'm supposed to be doing what I'm supposed to do.

Thank you, as always, for supporting me and zena moon. I love making candles and hope to continue providing them to you for years to come!

Our Fall Candles are HERE + Full Moon Free Shipping Offer

 

It's my favorite time of year! Yummilicious autumn, Halloween and Thanksgiving candles are now available!

Plus, tomorrow's Full Moon means we're offering Free Shipping over $30 with coupon code FULLMOON (ends 9/6).

If you're feeling emotionally overwrought and a sense of spiritual longing towards your life purpose, it's because tomorrow's Full Moon is LOADED! I absolutely love Molly Hall's interpretation of what's going on astrologically.

Wishing you a wonderful, safe holiday weekend.

Everyday Sacred, Togetherness & Yoga Candles

I'm absolutely delighted to unveil three new candles this week!

everyday sacred ~ scented with lavender and peach, with the quote by Sarah Ban Breathnach, "Everyday life is the prayer. How we conduct it, cherish it, celebrate it, consecrate it." read more

togetherness ~ scented with rose and strawberry, with the quote by Piglet, "It's so much more friendly with two." read more

yoga ~ scented with aloe vera and lemon, with the quote, "Life is simple. Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat." read more

After a long, confusing but obviously necessary creative drought, I'm also ridiculously excited to report that several more new candles are almost ready to be unveiled -- including the one I asked for your help with -- plus I'm in the process of revamping some of my existing candles that have been begging for fresh new quotes for quite some time.

Fingers crossed I'll be able to re-ignite my writing as well, but at this point I'm simply content with one baby step at a time actions. :)

Name That Candle ... and receive one free!

Found a quote that I absolutely love and want to create a new candle for:

I will not let anyone walk through my mind with dirty feet.
—Gandhi

What do you think the candle should be called?

zena moon tradition is to send a free candle to whoever assists with its creation, so if I use your suggestion you'll receive one of these candles after it's birthed!

Celebrating Earth Day with a Gift to You

I'm delighted to re-introduce our mother earth candles on Earth Day 2009. Scented with pine and rain, it features one of my favorite quotes of all-time, by Alice Walker:

We have a beautiful mother
Her green lap immense
Her brown embrace eternal
Her blue body everything we know.

To celebrate, I'm giving away a FREE mother earth candle ($10 value) with any order* placed today and tomorrow. It won't show up in your shopping cart -- and you don't have to use any special coupon codes -- just place an order in any amount and we'll automatically include it with your shipment!

*Valid only in the continental U.S. Not valid with misfit candles. Offer ends 4/23/09.

Hi, remember me? :)

It has been a long time since I've written much of anything substantial here, but now that my Flickr 365 Days project (a self-portrait every day for a full year, which naturally for me meant writing as well) is finished, I have more bandwidth for blogging! And I'm glad, because I missed writing here and I missed reading your blogs as well.

So what's new in zena moon-land? A bevy of new candles are in the works! They include:

discernment
freedom from guilt
gay pride
girlfriends
intention
listening
mama's timeout
meditation
midlife mojo
releasing the past
sacred space
self-respect
spiritual guidance
stillness
yoga

I'm very excited about them and wish they were all ready now. :) My creative process with candles involves prayer, patience, pure unfiltered intuition and simply showing up with the necessary tools: my hands, hot wax, colors, scents and gemstones. They're born when they're ready, and not a moment before.

I'm also going to offer monthly candle-making classes beginning this spring! Once I settle on the dates I'll post the schedule here, and/or you can signup to receive the zena moon newsletter and easily stay tuned that way.

On a personal note I am doing better than ever. I'm thoroughly enjoying my freedom and my life as a single woman at age 45! I'm dating (scary but fun!), texting, flirting wildly, crushing, having amazing new experiences, running with a new pack of lesbian friends, nurturing new and old friendships daily, socializing out the wazoo and spending good quality time with good quality women. Life is incredibly rich and savory, and for a while now my heart has felt like a big fat red round beaming Buddha. I feel like I'm thawing out and coming to life after a long deep freeze. It's now exactly two years since God pulled the rug out from under my life -- marriage ending, sudden move to Spokane, Elliott's passing -- and if you've followed my blog you know I've been open and honest about the incredible pain and difficulty -- not to mention length -- of the grieving process. Healing takes time and work on many different levels. It sure isn't a barrel of monkeys, except for the shit-throwing part. But I'm grateful I was present for all of it, and for myself, and I thank God I'm on the other side. Because where I'm at now is beyond good.

I have experienced and lived over and over again the promise quoted on my faith candle:

"When you come to the edge of all that you know and are about to step into the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things will happen: There will be something to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly."

More soon. I swear!

P.S. Check out DailyOm's 10 tips for Staying Grounded in a Big City or Busy World reposted over on Women at Rest.

New Moon Special: 20% Off (3 Days Only) + News

20% Off Your Entire Order
3 Days Only  |  Ends 10/31/08
Use Coupon Code NEWMOON

The last few weeks have been a wild ride for us all, and my biggest challenge has been prying myself out of fear paralysis. We are either feeding our fear (i.e., checking news sites 20 times a day) or our faith, and for me, staying in right action is key. Many decades ago, Dale Carnegie said, "Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy."

Great advice to which I would add, take extra good, gentle, soothing care of yourself. For me this means focusing my time, attention and energy on what feeds my faith. Friends. Nature. Reading fluffy books (I'm into the Twilight saga right now and loving it). Having friends over to watch movies. Music. Quiet. Candles (naturally :)). Watching good TV comedies on Netflix (current faves: Dead Like Me and 30 Rock). Avoiding drama, inflammatory language, and political conversations. Taking care of my finances. NOT panicking.

In my prayers and meditations, the message I am hearing over and over again is that the most important thing to do right now is to shine our light. Whatever your light is, and however it shines, that's the focus. What I'm burning a lot of these days:

• beyond fear
• faith
• i trust
• keep it simple
• let go and let god

It's also time for our holiday candles and gift sets to come out to play!

• hanukkah
• happy new year
• merry
• christmas
• silent night
• winter
• yule
• merry christmas candle set
• winter gift set

Plus...

• autumn
• thanksgiving

An Invitation For You
Ever wish you could shop at zena moon in person? Next month you can! This year's Holiday Open Studio Party is Saturday, November 22, from 12 noon - 6 pm.

SHOP our hundreds of candles and gift sets in person 
SAVE 10% off everything | 50% off exclusive sale items 
RECEIVE a free gift with purchase 
ENJOY complimentary snacks and drinks

Bring family and friends—the more the merrier! I'd love to see you here.

1514 E 9th Ave
Spokane, WA 99202
(509) 534 1534

Coming Soon
Monthly candle-making classes at zena moon begin in February 2009, and a weekend Women at Rest retreat will be held in Spring 2009. Stay tuned for more details!